Imprinting machine



Oct. 24 1950 I POND 2,527,030

IMPRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11,. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 24, 1950 G. A. POND IMPRINTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi'r a Fair/d 2.57 W

Filed Sept. 11, 1947 Oct. 24, 1950 G. A. POND 2,527,030

IMPRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11,- 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 i 1 5/? 35 W 7 I jrzajerzior fier 3'6 Pond i Oct. 24, 1950 G. A. POND IMPRINTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 11, 1947 1720,6250; I fier qa'fflfiand /&Z

Oct. 24, 1950 G. A. POND 2,527,030

IMPRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UNITED STATES FAE'EN'E QFFECE IMPRINTING MAoniNE' Gervis A. "Bond, Whitman, Masa, assignor to Ball Square Manufacturing Corp, Somerville, Mass.-, a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 11, 1947, Serial No. 773,377

(Cl. ll279) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to printing mechanism and more particularly to mechanism suitable for use in imprinting a depoeitors name or address on checks or the like.

It is the practice of many banks to supply their depositors with checks having the depositors name printed thereon. Often these checks are supplied by the bank tov the depositor in lots of twenty. The checks, as yet unbound in a check. book, but each having a check stub as a part thereof, are individually'printed with the depositors name. Then, twenty such printed checks are bound together at their stubs in the form of a check book.

Although auseful convenience to depositors, this has involved some considerable inconveniences to the bank because of the relatively small number of checks imprinted at one time with a given depositors name, the need to prepare the checks quickly when they are requested by a depositor, and the need for a person of some considerable skill in operating such usual printing devices as have been used for this purpose. An important object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective imprinting device capable of easy and reliable operation, economical operation in small lots of work, and requiring only a min mum of training of an operator, yet which will produce Work of quality appropriate to use by financial institutions.

More particularly, other objects of the invention are to provide an improved general organization of imprinting machine characterized by simplicity and compactness, an improved'magazine, improved mechanism for feeding a check or similar sheet into and through the machine and ejecting the imprinted check, improved and simplified mechanism for determining the location of printing on a check or for accommodat ing the device to checks of different length, im proved means for holding the type with which the check is imprinted, and improved and simplified inking means.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an imprinting machine according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine, on a larger scale, and with its top covers removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of assembled movable type, type stops, and type bar, for use in the machine;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a special form of linotype slug adapted for use in the machine;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the type holder of the machine adapted for interchangeable re ception of one or more type bars such as that of Fig. 4 or one or more special linotype slugsv such as that of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the machine-taken from the left of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3-8 of Fig. 7 showing the check magazine and the feed rolls of the machine;

Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, taken from inside the side frame plate ofthe machine, showing the starting position of the mechanism of the machine;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 9 showing the mechanism of the machine advanced to position to ink the type;

Fig. 11 i; a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 9 showing the mechanism of the machine advanced to position to imprint a check; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 9 showing the mechanism of the machine atfthe check ejecting position, the movable bed being in the act of beginning its return movement to starting position.

The movable bed or carriage of the machine includes a bed plate 28, secured to longitudinal side bars 2! (Fig. 7). Axles 22 carry wheels 23 upon which the movable bed rolls on stationary tracks 24.

A vertical lug 35 extending down from bed plate 20 (Fig. 7) is connected by a rod 3| .tofl'a slide 32 (Figs. 3, '7 and 9) which is slidable on aground stationary rod 33 by means of a handle 3 The left hand or starting position of the m0v able bed is shown in Fig. 9 and subsequent posi-' tions of the bed are shown in Figs. lO,- 11 and 12, Fig. 12 representing the right hand or ejecting position-of the bed and the start of return movement of the bed to the position of Fig. 9;.

A stationary frame of the machine carries a form roll 5t (Fig. 9), a platen roll 'o'l, checkfeed rolls 55 and 5$ 1ocated between the form roll and platen roll, roll 56 being pressed yieldingly against r011 55 by being rotatably mounted in swinging bell-cranks 58 (Fi s. 7 and 9) which are acted upon by springs 59 to urge roll "56 toward roll 55. The stationary frame of the machine further carries check ejecting mechanism indicated generally at 563 and a check magazine indicated generally at 96.

The movable bed plate 2!! of the machine carries an ink plate i a yieldable support I05 arranged to supportthe leading portion of. the check being printed at a level below and out of contact with the platen roll, and a type holder indicated generally at H in Figs. 6 and 9. As indicated above, the type holder is adapted to receive interchangeably one or more type bars carrying movable type or one or more special linotype slugs.

When a new depositor opens his account and is to be supplied with a check book, his name is set up in movable type and a set of checks for his use is printed with his name at once. Then, at the banks convenience, a linotype slug may be cast. The movable type may be distributed again, and the linotype slug retained for subsequent printing of checks for this depositor. Or if more convenient, the movable type may be distributed immediately after use and the linotype slug or slugs later made, still with the same text as was originally set up in movable type.

Movable type H and suitable type stops 2H3 such as indicated in Fig. 4 may be similar to those that are used on multigraph" machines, and set up in a type bar H1 comprising a generally U-shaped section of sheet metal having turned down upper edges.

- The linotype slug H'I (Fig. 5) is of usual construction except for its height which is lower than usual for linotype slugs and is equal to the height of the assembly of movable type 2I5 and type bar H1.

The type holder indicated generally at Hll comprises essentially a block I I I having a raised part H2 of which the four lateral edge faces H2 H2 H2 and H2 constitute abutments adapted to receive a line or lines of type. Springs H3 are adapted yieldingly to press the line or lines of type against the abutment. The block III is pivoted on the bed plate 29 of the movable carriage by a pivot member H4 (Fig. 3) for rotation to any one of four possible operative positions corresponding to its four sides. Four index holes H5 may be provided through the block III, into any one of which an index pin H6 (Fig. 3) may be inserted to engage in a corresponding hole in the bed plate and secure the block III in the desired position.

In a popular style of check there is a marginal blank space of about one-half inch width across the left end of the check. To imprint in this space the block III is turned to bring either of its parallel abutments H2 or Hi! to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 and secured in this position.

The type holder H0 has a space at its abutment I I2 of a width adapted to receive a single line of type (either a single type bar H7 and its movable type of Fig. 4 or a single linotype slug H! of Fig. 5) between the abutment and the corresponding spring H3. With the type holder turned with its abutment H2 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, a single line of type held by this abutment will be centered to print in the aforesaid left marginal space of a check.

If two depositors names, or a single depositors name followed by his address, are to be printed on the checks, two lines of type can be employed, and both of these placed between abutment I I2 and its corresponding spring, the space there being adapted to receive two such lines, the block III first being shifted about its pivot H4 to the position of Fig. 3 for such reception of two lines of type.

The distance from pivot point H4 to the twoline holding abutment H2 is less than the distance from pivot point I I4 to the one-line holding abutment H2 by approximately one-half the width (verticall of a type-character) of a line of type. Employing abutment H2 as described Will thus cause a two-line imprinting of a check to be centered in the same left marginal space of the check as referred to above in connection with imprinting one line in such space by the use of abutment I I2.

The other two abutments I I2 and H2 which are preferably approximately equally distant from pivot point H4, or either of these abut ments, are available to hold other similar lines of type which may for instance carry such a text as account numbers, or the depositors address, if it is desired to imprint these horizontally on the check along with imprinting the dcpositors name or joint depositors names, across the left marginal portion of the check.

Or, if desired, the block III may be turned degrees in either direction from the position of Fig. 3, to bring ither of the abutments H2 or H2 to a position in which type carried thereby can print longitudinall of the check. In any case linotype slugs I I! and movable type carried by type bars H'i' can be used interchangeably.

The check magazine 90 is arranged in a vertical position over the nipping feed rolls 55, 5S and is shown in Figs. 7 and 9, as comprising L- shaped back members I33 and L-shaped front members, of less height, I3I. An inclined stop member I 34 is positioned at the bottom of the magazine so that when a group of, say, twenty checks is dropped down into the magazine, their bottom edges become arranged on a slant as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the left-hand check being highest. A flexible spring I36 yieldingly bears at its upper free end against the checks near their bottoms but can be manually pulled out to the left in Figs. 8 and 9 to permit checks to be dropped on to the inclined stop member I34. The upper surface of the stop member I34 is preferably faced with slightly rough material, such as emery paper I34 (Fig. 8), adapted to engage the bottom edges of the checks and prevent them from becoming tightly pushed together.

A cross bar I38 near the top of the magazine provides a point about which the upper portions of the checks can bend outwardly sufficiently to be easily engaged by the operator. Referring to Fig. 9, it will be seen that the checks at their upper end make a loose fan-shaped figure, and that the upper edge of each check extends sufficiently beyond the upper edge of the next innermost check to permit the operator to pick the checks upwardly individually by their upper edges.

To feed a check into the machine for printing, the operator merely lifts it slightl so that its bottom edge rests above the top of spring I36, and then drops the check downwardly into the nip between feed rolls 55 and 56. The left side of spring I36 and inwardly inclined bottom portions I3I which extend down from the front members I3I on the left or front side of the magazine aid in guiding the check into the nip.

Feed rolls 55 and 56 are provided with intermeshing gears 55 and 56 respectively (Fig. 8) and gear 55 is also in mesh with a gear I40 (Fig. 9) which in turn engages the teeth of a rack I4I mounted on the carriage. As a consequence, the movement of the bed to the right in Fig. 9 rotates the feed rolls 55 and 56 in a feeding direction to feed a check downwardly. The gearing connecting rack I4I with 5, feed rolls .is preferably tatethe feed rolls at substai speed of the carriage. A-iiexible I deflects the check, indicated at C in toward the right, causing its forward end to overlie the flexible support 155015 the moving bed of the carriage.

Return movement of the bed to the left rotates the feed rolls 55 and 5B in a backward direction in which these rolls are not able to feed a check downwardly. Thus a new check may be dropped into the nip of the rolls 55, 55 at any time during the backward stroke of the bed and the'check will remain idly at the nip of the rolls until the beginning of the next forward stroke of the bed. The position in which the depositors name is printed on the check can be adjusted in a simple manner with reference to the leading end of a check or for checks or similar sheets of different lengths by adjusting the end position of the backward stroke of the bed. Thus, a stop I49 may be adjusted and then fixed on the guide rod 33 of Fig. 9 to stop the slide 32 and hence the bed at the desired position of backward movement. Shifting the stop I48 to the left brings the printed matter farther away from the right or leading end of a check.

As the bed moves to the right to the position or Fig. 10, the type carried by the bed is brought into engagement with a form roll 50 and, as the bed is brought farther to the right to the position of Fig. 11, the type forces the check into contact with the platen roll 51, thus printing the check.

Shortly after the type emerges from beneath the platen roll 51, the forward end of the check on the flexible support I05 runs beneath a rubber surfaced ejector wheel I (Fig. 12), freely rotatable on a shaftI5-I. A further wheel I52 of slightly less diameter than wheel I50 is fastened to wheel I 50 and carries a pawl I53 urged by a spring I53 into engagement with a ratchet wheel I54 which is fast on shaft I5I. Shaft I5I carries a pinion I56 (Fig. 3) meshing with a gear I51 which in turn is engageable by the teeth of rack I4I on the movable bed. This arrangement is such that during forward or printing movement of the bed the shaft I5I and ratchetwheel I 54 turn idly in a clockwise direction in Fig. 11. When the check support I05 reaches the wheel I50 frictional engagement of the wheel I50 by the check turns the wheel I55 counterclockwise, the pawl I53 slipping idly past the teeth of ratchet wheel I54'.- At the right-hand end of the stroke of the bed, represented by Fig. 12, the direction of rotation of the shaft I5I and ratchet wheel I54 is reversed, these then moving counterclockwise as the bed moves to the left, the ratchet Wheel I54 engaging the pawl I53 positively to drive the wheels I52 and I50 counterclockwise. The rubber surface of wheel I5!) grips the check and not only prevents the check from being carried to the left but also projects the checks to the right, off of the smooth upper surface of support I05 on which thecheck readily slides, and into a suitable basket or collector I59, Figs. 1 and 2. 1

On the back stroke of the bed, the platen roll 51 is raised as the type passes thereunder, so as to avoid offsetting from the type onto the platen roll; A shaft I60 on which theplaten' roll 51 turns is provided with an enlarged and eccentric journal IBI (Fig. 12) at each end, mounted in bearings on the side frame plates. A rod I 6.. extending downwardly from the eccentric journal I6I permits the shaft I60 to be turned ecceri trically about the axis of journals I6I, with the result of raising the platen roll 51. Normally the platen roll 51 is in its lower position of Figs. 9to

12 inclusive in which the rod I55 rests against a i stop I61. A yieldable wire spring I68 is carried by the bed at a distance sufficiently to the left of the type so that on the return stroke of the bed this spring E58 turns the rod I55 and journals Iiil clockwise in Fig. 12 before the type reaches the platen roll, and retains the platen roll out of contact with the rearwardly moving type. on the forward or printing stroke, the flexible end of spring I53, again engaging the rod I65, is un able to move the rod because of the presence of the stop. I61, and the spring I68 bends and passes rod I55 on this stroke.

Ink is supplied to the form roll 50 by a rotatable ink plate I05 mounted at the left of the bed. A ratchet wheel I10, Figs. 3, 7 and 9, is secured to and rotates with the ink plate I00 and is normally held in a stationary position by a flexible pawl spring I1I (Fig. 3) carried by the bed. A stationary pawl-actuating spring I13 is positioned as shown in Figs. 3 and 7 in the path of movement of the ratchet wheel I10 of the ink plate. During forward movement of the bed the ratchet wheel I10 merely deflectsthe pawl' actuating spring I13 outwardly, but on the rearward movement of the bed the end of pawlactuating spring I13 engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel I10, causing the ratchet wheel to be turned, thus rotating the ink plate I00. In this way the ink plate I00 is diiferently positioned each time it reaches the form roll 50 and even distribution of ink on the form roll is secured.

The ink plate I00 and its ratchet wheel I10 are fixed on a spindle I which is rotatable and vertically slidable in a fixed collar I8I, and which also extends through a hole in the plate 25 and carries a stop collar I82 adapted to engage the lower face of plate 20.

A spring I35 yieldingly urges the ratchet wheel, ink plate and spindle upwardly to a position where the stop collar I82 bears against the lower face of plate 20 and the upper face of the ink plate I00 is slightly but appreciably higher than the bottom of the form roll, for example inch higher. The ink plate I00 being yieldin'gly supported at this level, can be depressed by the form roll against the yielding action of spring I84 as the ink plate passes under the form roll. Form rolls may vary in diameter as a result of differences in manufacture, or the same form roll may change in diameter due to swelling, shrinkage, or wear. In any case'the ieldable mounti'ngof the ink plate at a level from which it is depressed by the form roll assures that the ink plate will make good contact with the form roll in each, operation of the device.

The operation of the device has thus far been: described mainly by reference to imprinting on-. bank checks. It will of course be understood that; the device can be used for imprinting upon, other sheets. I

It is, for example, advantageous to provide a. bank depositor with a few deposit slips, for example'six, at the same time that he is furnished with a supply of say twenty checks, and and it would be advantageous to imprint these deposit, slips with some or all. of the data such as name, address or account number that has been mentloned above in connection with the imprinting of checks.

The magazine 90 is shown as specially formed to facilitate imprinting a few deposit slips before and after a run of checks.

. The magazine 90 is preferably somewhat wider, as viewed in Fig. 7, than the width of bank checks, and of a width sufiicient to permit the side flanges of angles I30 and the front flanges of angles I31 and their depending portions I31 to form a guide passage adapted to guide deposit slips directly to the nip of the feed rolls 55 and 56. There being only a few deposit slips to be printed for each run of checks, the deposit slips can expeditiously be fed one at a time through such guide passage of the magazine without previous stacking in the magazine as in the case of checks.

Notwithstanding the magazine is materially wider than the checks, the magazine is enabled both to hold the stack of checks and guide them to the feed rolls in centered relation to the length of these rolls. Filler blocks I90 (Figs. 3, 7 and 8) are vertically arranged in the corners of angles I30 of the magazine, so that the stack of checks C (Fig. 8) is laterally but loosely confined in the check-receiving portion between these blocks. Thus the stack of checks is centered with relation to the length of the feed rolls. The filler blocks have a greater thickness (Fig. 8) than the normal stack of checks placed between them. When a check is manually lifted to bring its bottom above the spring I36 as above described and then is dropped down toward the feed rolls, it will normally be somewhat curved so that it does not immediately and entirely leave the space between the filler blocks [90, I90, but is guided by the filler blocks at portions of its own edges as it passes to the feed rolls, still in centered relation to the lengths of the feed rolls and hence in position to be fed thereby in proper printing relation to the type.

I claim:

1. An imprinting machine for printing depositors names or addresses on bank checks or the like, comprising a stationary frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, means on said carriage arranged to hold type, a form roll and a platen roll mounted on said frame so that reciprocation of the carriage carries said type successively past said form roll and platen roll, means for feeding checks to said carriage at a place between said form roll and said platen roll during a printing stroke of the carriage, a check support on said carriage arranged to support a leading portion of the check in a position below and out of contact with said platen roll, an ejector wheel adapted frictionally to engage the leading end of a check at the end portion of the printing stroke of the carriage, said ejector wheel being rotatable freely by friction of the check running thereagainst during the end portion of the printing stroke, and means for preventing reverse rotation of said friction wheel thereby to cause the check to slide over said check support on the return stroke of the carriage.

2. An imprinting machine for printing depositors names or addresses on bank checks or the like, comprising a stationary frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, means on said carriage arranged to hold type, a form roll and a platen roll mounted on said frame so that reciprocation of the carriage carries said type successively past said form roll and platen roll; means for feeding checks to said carriage at a place between said form roll and said platenroll during a printing stroke of the carriage, a check support on said carriage arranged to sup port a leading portion of the check in a position below and out of contact with said platen roll, an ejector wheel adapted frictionally to engage the leading end of a check at the end portion of the printing stroke of the carriage, and a one-way driving connection between said carriage and said ejector wheel, said one-way driving connection being arranged to permit the ejector wheel to be driven freely by friction of the check on the printing stroke of the carriage and said one-way driving connection driving said ejector wheel in a direction to eject the check from the carriage upon the return stroke thereof.

3. An imprinting machine for printing depositors names or addresses on bank checks or the like, comprising a stationary frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, means for feeding a check to said carriage during a printing stroke of the carriage, means for printing on said check during such printing stroke, an ejector wheel adapted frictionally to engage the leading end of a check at the end portion of the printing stroke of the carriage, and a one-way driving connection between said carriage and said ejector wheel, said one-way driving connection being arranged to permit the ejector wheel to be rotated freely by friction of the check on the printing stroke of the carriage, and said oneway driving connection driving said ejector wheel in a direction to eject the check from the carriage upon the return stroke thereof.

4. An imprinting machine for printing depositors names or addresses on bank checks or the like, comprising a stationary frame, a carriage mounted to reciprocate on said frame, means for feeding a check to said carriage during a printing stroke of the carriage, means for printing on said check during such printing stroke, an ejector wheel adapted frictionally to engage the leading end of a check at the end portion of the printing stroke of the carriage, a rack movable with said carriage, and gearing adapted to connect said rack with said ejector wheel, said gearing including a ratchet and pawl permitting the ejector wheel to be rotated freely by friction of the check on the printing stroke of the carriage and rotating said ejector wheel in a direction to eject the check from the carriage upon the return stroke thereof.

GERVIS A. POND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 111,407 Warwick Jan. 31, 1871 961,567 Winlack June 14, 1910 1,016,756 Mahlstedt Feb. 6, 1912 1,024,461 Stafford et a1 Apr. 23, 1912 1,106,071 Bates Aug. 4, 1914 1,146,920 Cartwright July 20, 1915 1,262,857 Sinnott Apr. 16, 1918 1,269,305 Quade June 11, 1918 1,753,173 Pope Apr. 1, 1930 1,759,542 Christopherson May 20, 1930 1,842,086 Hartley Jan. 19, 1932 

